


Joy to the World

by Ninja_Librarian



Series: Shidgemas 2018 [5]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Christmas Parties, Day 4: Sweater/Stocking, Established Relationship, F/M, No Season 8 spoilers, Pidge 'hates' ugly Christmas sweaters, Post-Canon, Season 8? I don't know her..., She secretly loves them, Shidgemas 2018, Shiro Knows This, Ugly Holiday Sweaters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-19
Updated: 2018-12-19
Packaged: 2019-09-22 20:47:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17066822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ninja_Librarian/pseuds/Ninja_Librarian
Summary: Shidgemas 2018 Day 4: Sweater/StockingUgly Christmas Sweaters have been a tradition for Pidge and Shiro since the first Christmas they were dating, even if Pidge 'complains' about them every year.But this year, Shiro's got something extra special planned with their sweaters.





	Joy to the World

It had become a tradition for Pidge and Shiro, ever since the first Christmas they were dating.

Shiro would pick out matching ugly Christmas sweaters for him and Pidge to wear. He’d do so months in advance, carefully deliberating and selecting.

Pidge would gripe and moan and complain about having to wear the sweaters. She would nonetheless wear them, because it meant something to Shiro.

But they both knew by now that it was simply a tradition, and that Pidge’s complaining was half-hearted and as artificial as the Christmas tree in the living room.

Shiro figured this out their third Christmas as a couple, their second since they had returned to Earth after saving the Universe with Voltron, when one day in early December he found Pidge actively searching for them.

“Where are they?” She demanded from where she stood on the kitchen counters, rummaging through the cabinets.

“What exactly are ‘they’?” Shiro asked, confused as he set down the bags of groceries.

Pidge glared at him over her shoulder. “Don’t play coy with me. You know what they are.”

“No…?” Shiro said, brow furrowing. Then a thought hit him and he frowned at her. “You’re looking for your Christmas present, aren’t you?”

He was glad that he had hidden her gift in a part of the Atlas that could only be accessed by his fingerprints and retinal scans.

“No,” Pidge said, turning around, crossing her arms over the chest. “The sweaters for this year!”

Shiro paused in unloading the groceries, standing up straighter, confusion washing over him again.

“The sweaters?” He repeated. He hadn’t planned on getting sweaters this year. After all, Pidge didn’t like them.

Wait…

He suddenly smirked. “Oh, I see. You want to see the sweaters. You want to know what I got this year for us to wear.”

“No!” Pidge snapped, her cheeks flushed pale pink. “Yes… I mean, if I’m going to wear something tacky I should know in advance what it is. So I can prepare. And accessorize properly.”

“I see,” Shiro said, nodding, still smirking. “Well, I wasn’t planning on getting us sweaters this year. You always complain about them, and I—your loving boyfriend—am being considerate to your wishes.”

“What!” Pidge exclaimed, her eyes wide and a bit sad. “No… No sweaters?”

Shiro blinked, trying to look the picture of ignorant innocence. “I thought you hated them.”

Pidge frowned, looking a bit sheepish. “Well… I, uh, I wouldn’t mind wearing them. They make you happy. And stuff.”

“And stuff,” Shiro repeated. He heaved a huge sigh. “Well, we’ll just have to wear the one from last year. Unless…”

“Unless?” Pidge repeated, leaping off the counter and rushing to him.

Shiro smiled, wrapping his arms around her waist, pressing a kiss to her cheek. “Unless you’d like to help me find some for this year. If we work together, we’ll get them in time.

“I’ll help!” Pidge said quickly. Then, trying to look nonchalant, adding, “I mean, I’d do anything to make you happy, Takashi, love of my life. Especially if those sweaters come with a big, ugly Christmas bow to go with it.”

She added a little pout that he did not buy for a single second.

Shiro laughed and hugged her. “I think we can find a bow or two.”

After that year, Shiro continued to find the most adorably tacky sweaters for him and Pidge to wear. He also discovered that Pidge loved accessories to go with them. Antler headbands, Santa hats, elf ears, flashing light necklaces, bows, earrings… It became part of his gift for her every year.

They were coming up on their sixth Christmas together, and this year Shiro was absolutely positive that he had outdone himself.

The sweater for Pidge was green shot with silver threat, with a shiny purple present in the middle, with a glittery gift tag. His was the same but with a reversal of colors.

Pidge oohed and ahhed over the sweaters as he brought them out the morning of the big Voltron family get-together that they held every year.

“Press the tag,” Shiro encouraged as Pidge pulled the sweater out of the box. She did so, her grin growing as the sweater emitted a tinny, slightly-off key instrumental of ‘Joy to the World’, which he knew was one of her favorite carols.

“I love it!” She told Shiro, her eyes gleaming.

Shiro grinned, because there was another aspect of the sweater that she hadn’t discovered yet.

Soon they were all bundled up, their potluck additions loaded, and they were in the car, ready to head over to the party. They arrived and started knocking snow off their hats and coats, dodging and laughing as Hunk and Lance’s niblings ran past giggling, chasing Kosmo who had a huge ribbon tied around his neck.

“Hey, guys!” Matt greeted from beside the fireplace.

“Merry Not-Yet-Christmas!” Romelle greeted, waving.

“Are we the last to arrive?” Pidge asked, carrying a large plate of cookies to the dessert section of the table.

“Not yet. Keith’s picking up Krolia and Kolivan. They’re on their way here now.” Lance said, approaching her with a mug of hot chocolate and a hug. After she set the plate down, Pidge accepted both. However, Lance leapt back, nearly splashing them both with hot chocolate, when Pidge’s sweater started to play its song. “Your sweater sings!”

“Yeah!” Pidge said with a laugh. “Shiro picked out a really cool sweater this year!”

“That he did,” Colleen said, giving her daughter a hug as well. “I’ve always thought Takashi had impeccable taste.”

“Of course my son has impeccable taste!” Shiro’s mother exclaimed as she received her hug. Into Pidge’s ear, she whispered, “I know this, because he loves you. He chose you. Best choice ever.”

Pidge wasn’t quite sure what that meant, but chalked it up to her boyfriend’s mother’s lack of fluency in the English language.

“Indeed, the Snoofolorian musical clothing is considered the highest of high fashion,” Coran proclaimed. He gave Shiro a thumbs-up from across the room. “Excellent choice, Number One!”

“Thanks, Coran,” Shiro said with a smile. “But I must admit, fashion was the last thing on my mind when making this year’s sweater decision.”

Something about the tone of his voice set Pidge’s brain whirring, not sure what he meant. But any opportunity to think further on this disappeared as the door opened again, blowing in a gust of cold wind and snow, as Keith, Krolia and Kolivan arrived. There was a yelp and laughter as Shiro rushed over to pull Kosmo off of Keith, as the wolf evidentially thought that his person would save him from the small children and remove the ribbon.

Food was put on plates and drinks were poured, everyone finding a spot to sit in either at the table or near the fire, or sometimes moving from place to place as the night wore on. Games were played, stories were told, couples spun on the make-shift dance floor.

Towards the end of the evening, as the party was starting to wind down, the kids slowing down as bedtime rapidly approached, Shiro glanced at Pidge, who was sitting with Romelle, Rachel and Allura, laughing about something. Subtly, Shiro got Hunk’s attention.

Hunk grinned with a nod, and called over his youngest niece, four year old Victoria. She eagerly climbed up on her uncle’s lap, only for him to whisper in her ear, passing a treat into her hand. Victoria nodded and hopped off of Hunk, running over to Pidge, resting her small hands on Pidge’s knees.

“Aunty Pidgey,” She clamored. “Will you make your sweater sing again?”

Pidge smiled and nodded. “Sure!”

She reached for her chest, pressing the small tag with the sound button underneath.

Her grin turned into a frown of confusion.

Because it wasn’t ‘Joy to the World’ that played.

It was the words: “Katie Holt, will you marry me?”

The whole room went silent, everyone’s heads turning towards her.

Pidge whipped around towards Shiro, clamping a hand to her mouth as she saw Shiro on one knee, smiling at her, a small jewelry box in her hand.

She couldn’t get words out, tears flooding her eyes, a huge smile behind her hand as she nodded.

“Yes!” She managed to get out, jumping up and rushing over to Shiro, kissing him. “Yes! A thousand times yes!”

The entire room broke out into cheers as Shiro picked her up, twirling her around, kissing her.

“Shiro… It’s beautiful…” Pidge said, still sniffling with happy tears as he slid the engagement ring onto her finger.

“I told you,” Mrs. Shirogane—her now future mother-in-law—said with a smug look as she hugged Pidge, whose sweater once again started playing ‘Joy to the World’. “Takashi has good taste.”

Pidge laughed, wiping her eyes as Allura, Romelle and Rachel proceeded to squeal over her ring and the ‘congratulations’ started to pour in.

“Wait a hot second!” Lance exclaimed, whirling around at Hunk, pointing an accusatory finger at the Yellow Paladin, who was looking a little smug. “You knew! You knew about this!”

“Yes, yes I did,” Hunk confirmed, folding his arms over his chest. “Who do you think helped Shiro program the speaker in the sweater? So that the proposal would come at just the right time?”

Lance took a deep breath, then said, “Let me rephrase. You knew… AND YOU DIDN’T TELL ME?!?!”

“Of course he didn’t!” Veronica exclaimed with a laugh, ruffling her brother’s hair. “Because you can’t keep a secret for the life of you, Lance!”

“I can, too, keep a secret!” Lance argued, trying to smooth his hair down.

“Yes, you can,” Hunk said. “But Allura can sniff out someone keeping a secret a mile away. And you have a weak will when it comes to Allura, and she’d have you singing like a bird in seconds!”

“I wouldn’t tell anyone else!” Allura said, looking affronted, hand to her chest. “Just… just maybe the mice. And Romelle. And Coran.”

“I am a great secret keeper!” Coran declared.

Romelle looked at her feet, a bit sheepish. “I would have told people. A great amount of people…”

Everyone laughed and Pidge and Shiro both hugged Romelle.

As they drove back home later, Shiro caught a glimpse of Pidge admiring her ring in the passing lights of cars and streetlamps.

“You like it?” He asked.

“I love it,” Pidge whispered. “I love you. And I… I love how you proposed. Using the sweater.”

Shiro chuckled. “You really do love those sweaters, don’t you?”

Pidge was quiet for a moment, then she said, “I never told you why, though.”

“You don’t have to have a reason for loving something.”

“But I do,” Pidge said. “That first year that we were together, and you got us matching ugly Christmas sweaters… I did hate it. With a fiery burning passion. I wanted it to fall into a wood chipper, or get tangled in a taffy machine, or be used as a tiger play-toy. But you loved it, and it made you happy. It made you smile. So I put on the stupid sweater. But then, after Kerberos, after you and Dad and Matt were all declared lost… That Christmas I found that sweater. And I cried because all I could think about was how happy you looked. I just wanted that moment back, wanted you back. And I loved that stupid sweater. I wore several holes in it and Mom and I got into a huge fight because it started to smell after a while but I refused to wash it.”

Shiro put his foot on the brake at a red light, turning to Pidge, her eyes shining slightly in the dark.

“So I love the sweaters… because they mean I got you back, too.” She said in a soft voice.

Shiro leaned over and kissed her. “I had no idea…” he whispered.

“I couldn’t talk about it until now,” Pidge whispered back with a shrug. “But I wanted you to know. Because we’re going to be married, but also because you needed to know that the way you proposed is truly the best, most wonderful way you could have done so.”

Shiro smiled. “Thank you, for that. And I’m glad that I made it even more special without realizing it.”

Pidge laughed. “You’re good at that. It’s one of my favorite things about you. You take ordinary things and make them extraordinary.”

Shiro laughed as the light turned green. “Funny,” He said. “That’s one of my favorite things about you.”


End file.
